In the United States, 30% of previously-forested areas are already gone. Most of it occurred during a logging boom that started in 1880. By 1920, more than two-thirds of U.S. forests had been leveled at least once. In the East, 99% of old-growth forests have either been cleared for farming or housing or replaced by second-growth forests. In the Midwest, oak savannas have been reduced to small areas surrounded by cornfields....
The Free File program is not to be confused with various products advertised as “free” by tax prep companies—though it frequently is, according to the GAO report. The Federal Trade Commission recently filed a lawsuit accusing TurboTax of using its “free” tax filing service to funnel customers into paid products, for instance. The GAO report is the latest salvo in a perennial debate over how Americans pay the taxes they owe the government....
The most significant difference is compensation for overtime work. The term “exempt” means exempt from being paid overtime. There are regulations that govern whether an employee could be exempt from receiving overtime pay. Here’s information on the differences between exempt and non-exempt workers, employees who are entitled to overtime pay, and workers who are exempt from overtime pay requirements. Exempt Employees Certain types of employees, often classified as exempt employees, are not entitled to overtime pay as guaranteed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)....
Most people who file a bankruptcy case have one goal in mind, and that is to relieve financial stress by discharging their debts. When your debts are discharged, the filer —debtor in a bankruptcy case—no longer has any personal liability on the debt. Requirements for Discharge Each chapter of the bankruptcy code has its own rules for gaining a discharge. For instance, in Chapter 7, the debtor has to file complete and accurate schedules, attend a Section 341 meeting of creditors, attend a financial management course, turnover nonexempt property, and a litany of other items....
Since 65 is the age at which most Americans qualify for Medicare, you may be wondering if you can get affordable health care coverage with preexisting conditions. The short answer is yes. To explain the long answer, we’ll explore how preexisting condition coverage works under Medicare. Preexisting Conditions Under Original Medicare Before January 1, 2014, health insurers could charge you more or deny you coverage if you had a preexisting condition like cancer, diabetes, or asthma....
Inflation-adjusted gross domestic product shrank 1.4% in the first quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday in releasing its first estimate of the seasonally adjusted annual rate of change. The decline was worse than economists expected: A slowdown from the unusually big 6.9% growth in the fourth quarter was a given, but the consensus forecast was for 1% growth, not a decline. One of the main reasons for the dropoff was a massive gap between what we imported to the country versus what we shipped out....
While the federal government has granted select forgiveness to groups including disabled borrowers and public servants, Democrats who have been pushing hard for broad-based student loan forgiveness since the pandemic hit haven’t been successful. President Joe Biden said on the campaign trail that at least $10,000 per borrower should be forgiven, and progressive senators have called for that number to be $50,000. A new bill introduced earlier this month would strike a middle ground, forgiving $25,000....
More customers are using contactless payments since the global health crisis began, according to 27% of small business owners surveyed by a payments industry consulting firm. According to a Mastercard survey, three-quarters of those surveyed say they’ll continue using contactless payments in the future. Contactless payment usage grew 150% between March 2019 and March 2020—but some consumers are still unfamiliar with the technology. We’ll explain how contactless payments work, how to choose between the available options, how to get contactless payments set up, and finally, how to complete a transaction....
Sooner or later, everyone wants to retire. However, determining what happens to the business can be as important as ensuring that you have enough money to retire on. Who’s going to manage the business? How will ownership be transferred? With family businesses, succession planning can be especially complicated because of the relationships and emotions involved and because many people are not comfortable discussing topics such as aging, death, and financial affairs....
The Bailout Cost to Taxpayers According to an independent economic group, the Shadow Open Market Committee (SOMC), keeping the two agencies afloat cost taxpayers US$187 billion over time as the Treasury paid $116 billion for Fannie and $71 billion for Freddie. In August 2012 the Treasury decided it would send all Fannie and Freddie profits to their fund rather than simply collecting a 10% dividend. As of 2019, the bailout has been paid back with an additional $58 billion in profit, reported by SOMC....
But what exactly are the Fed funds futures and how can an investor use these financial contracts to make investment decisions? In this article, we provide the facts of Fed funds futures and how to interpret them. Fed Funds Futures and What You Can Learn From Them To gain a better understanding of Fed funds futures and how to make investment decisions based upon them, let’s break down the meaning of Fed funds and how futures work:...
kate_sept2004 / Getty Images The first step in vetting a finance pro is knowing what the designation after their name means. It will tell you what sort of finance they’re trained in. Financial Planning Designations Look for a professional who has attained the CFP® Certified Financial Planner TM title if you’re choosing a financial advisor for your family. They must meet the CFP® Board’s education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements to use this designation....
Bear in mind, however, that not every REO listing nor short sale listing is priced under market. In some ways, they aren’t any different from any other type of listing. Buyers will find a Goldilocks variety: Some REOs and short sales are priced too high, some too low, and some are just right. Hence, knowing the fair market values of the real estate assets in consideration is a prerequisite. Moreover, having enough liquid cash on hand will allow you to buy these properties when the right opportunity does arise....
The source of funds for online bill payments is usually a checking account, but some bill pay services also work with credit cards. All bills and transactions can be accessed on the bill pay website, and many bill pay services also offer a mobile app. What Makes Online Bill Paying Safe? Online bill paying is safe when you choose the right bill payment service. Typically, an online bill pay service that is backed by a bank or a company that provides online banking services will be safe and reliable....
If you are looking to invest in bonds that boost your yield, there are many types to choose from in different bond market segments. They include investment-grade corporate bonds, high-yield bonds, senior bank loans, foreign corporate bonds, and high yield municipal bonds. These types vary in many features. Here you’ll learn about each, as well as how to assess fixed-income bonds for yields, term lengths, and risks. Two Factors for Finding Yield There are two traits to look for in the bond market for finding the highest yield: term length and risk....
Here’s a quick look at the most significant economic indicators of the day and what they tell us. Gross Domestic Product The U.S. economy shrank a little more last quarter than the government first reported: declining 1.5% instead of 1.4%, according to revised gross domestic product (GDP) figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The first quarter marked the first time GDP, which measures the country’s total output, was in the red since the COVID-19 outbreak first crushed the economy in the first half of 2020....
Educate Yourself The first thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to know a little bit about what you’re doing before you wade in. Whether you once had a decent forex trading account that crashed, or you’re just starting out with no experience at all, you’ll want to educate yourself on forex basics first. Get acquainted with risk management and other basic forex concepts before you commit any money to a trading account....
Traders can select from many different filters, including trading volume, chart patterns, stock price, volatility, recent performance, and more. If you’re looking for a way to sift through the mountains of stock information to find one to trade, here are four popular screeners that can make the task easier. Using a specific format (some examples are listed on its site), type in the exact parameters for the stock screener. A nearly infinite combination of filters and criteria is possible....
If the GPO applies to you, it will not affect your own Social Security benefits (if you have any) nor your pension. It will not affect your spouse in any way or the payments they can expect to receive either. The GPO may sound complex, but once you know the reasons and how it is applied, it will make sense. What Is the Purpose of the GPO? Most people who have worked in the U....
Greenlight Max is an upgraded plan for families that includes all of the usual offerings, plus the ability for kids to research stocks using data analysis from financial services firm Morningstar, learn from in-app educational content, buy and sell stocks and mutual funds with parental approval, and track portfolios. “Investing is one of the most important pieces of the personal finance puzzle,” Tim Sheehan, co-founder and CEO of Greenlight, said in a statement....
